Video: Package Thief Decides Baby Formula Wasn’t Worth Stealing

PINECREST (CBSMiami) — Although he’s wearing a hoodie, home surveillance video got a pretty good look at a would-be-thief with intentions of stealing packages left at the front door.

Now police are hoping he can be identified.

Video shows the young suspect, possibly a teenager, casually walk up to the Pinecrest home, near S.W. 87th Court and S.W. 104th Street, and check out two big boxes dropped off by the mailman.

Police are hoping to identify this young man after attempting to steal packages from a Pinecrest home. (Source: Joanna Palmer-Fajardo)

At one point, he turns to a driver waiting for him and signals that there are two packages. He then opens one of them up but is disappointed with its contents.

“My immediate thought was anger. I was so angry, I felt so violated,” said Joanna, the homeowner. “Because even though he didn’t take any of the packages, he was right here at my front door, in my home.”

The kid apparently didn’t have any interest in the $150 worth of baby formula inside.

But deciding not to steal the stuff didn’t stop Joanna from taking the video and blasting it on social media.

“I put it on Facebook,” she said. “I took still images of his face, as well as uploaded the video, hoping that somebody will recognize him.”

The Miami-Dade Police Dept. saw the video.

“He looked like he was anywhere from 16 to 19 years old, tops. And so he’s doing this with an accomplice, he’s signaling in the car, and it’s a shame,” Joanna said. “Because this is a young kid and one day he’s gonna get caught. And this is gonna get him in a lot of trouble in the future and it’s gonna ruin his life. He’s gonna get arrested and have that on his record for something so stupid and juvenile.”

Neighbors were also concerned. Alissa Koury is rethinking her doorstep delivery.

“I don’t want my packages stolen. I would much rather have to go to the post office or somewhere, instead of not getting my item at all,” she said.

It’s a dilemma for Joanna, too.

“Now I have to outweigh the benefit and convenience of online shopping versus the risk of somebody taking packages that would be delivered to my door or marking my house as a target as someone who gets packages,” she feels.

Joan Murray

Joan Murray is an award winning reporter who joined CBS Miami in August 2001 shortly before the September 11th attacks. She was among the first to report the South Florida connection to the terrorists.
In her many years reporting in South Florida...